The Inadvertent Farmer

Still doing the Simple Things! Hopscotch

I know summer is over so my 'Summer's simple things' series is officially done...

I still cannot help but relish those sweet simple things we can do as a family...even if we have to brush the autumn leaves out of the way to do them!

What could be simpler than some sidewalk chalk and a driveway for having fun?

Last time we were up at the lake cabin I walked out the front door to see this...

Hubby making hopscotch squares on the driveway!

The kids were helping to decorate it...no boring hopscotch here!

Stripes, and moons, stars, and swirlies!

Daddies are good at teaching little ones new games...

Of course big girls can show up all the boys!

So if you are bored...or boring...go outside and do a little hopscotching.  Its good for the soul!

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I just had to share this out take!  Baby Boy was throwing his rock for the hopscotch game...I caught this shot just when the rock was passing his nose, lol!

Ahhh the fun of always having a camera around!

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So do you have a favorite simple thing to do as a family this time of year?  Maybe jumping in piles of leaves, or warm cups of cocoa on the porch swing?

If I get enough ideas I may just do a 'Simple Things' list like I did for summer!

 

Summer Sky Show a Simple Solution

Feeling a little blue?  Maybe a little irratable, worried, or sad?  I have the perfect solution to the end of summer duldrums...

Find a comfortable place outside.  Lay down...

And look up!

If you have a small child to enjoy the sky show with...

You are indeed blessed!

Its hard to be anything but joyous and thankful when the sky looks like this!

So if you need a little pick-me-up on this the very last day of August...

Step outside into God's great wonderous universe!

And if you happen to see a chicken in the sky...

Well all the better!

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So what simple thing of summer has brought you joy?

 

Go to the park a Summer's Simple Thing

Your public playground and park is a great resource for kids.

It is one of the things your tax dollar pays for...you might as well use it!

Besides can you think of anything more fun than...

A head full of static to complete the perfect slide!

Or the feeling of accomplishment for getting clear across!

 

Ready...

Get set...

Jump!

Exploring...right side up.

And upside down!

Right side up...

And upside down!

So go find a playground near you and enjoy a simple pleasure of summer.

Ohhh and don't forget to take a picnic lunch to make it the perfect outing!

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If you need some ideas for some simple things to do to complete this summer here is a list that will keep you playing until summer is over!

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Swing Dancing on the Beach

We are here today to share another of Summer's Simple Things.

No batteries, no tv, no usb...just good old-fashioned fun!

Today we go to the beach.  Not the Pacific Ocean Beach but the beach along the mighty Columbia river.

This post is so simple and so purely summer fun that it is being brought to you not in technicolor but plain old-fashioned black and white.

May I present to you 'Girl on the Beach'

There are two things that Sweet Girl does when she goes to the beach.  One is writing and drawing elaborate pictures in the smooth sand.

The other is...

DANCE!

Sometimes she even has a partner!

SWING dancing!

A little water, a little sand and a free spirit...the perfect summer combination!

So what simple thing have you done this week that brought you JOY???

Grass Hill Sledding, Simple Summer Fun

Welcome to Summer's Simple Things where the people are relaxed and the fun is simple!

My kids have been doing this since the big ones were little ones.  You can use either a sled or a large piece of cardboard.  All you need is some grass and a hill...

And maybe a daddy to pull you back up!

Enjoy...and don't forget to link up at the end of the post.

Ready...

Set...

GO!

Again Daddy!

WoooHooo!

Daddies are so very useful!

Oh the anticipation!

Until...

Will he get up?

Will he cry for his mama and want to stop sledding?

Ummm....

No!

Daddy...Daddy...wait for me

Me do it again?

OK...just one more time.

Or two!

Now its your turn...what simple summer things have you been up to?

50 Simple Things to do this Summer

Ok fellow parents/grandparents/godparents and anyone that has a child, or may someday have a child, or has had a child that is now grown-up, this is for you!

As part of the Summer's Simple Things Series we have been sharing our very best and favorite things to do in the summer.

These things require little to no money and very few if any 'props'.

They are simple old-fashioned straight up fun!

Here is the list I have come up with so far.  I would love to make it bigger and better...so if you can think of anything let me know in the comments and I'll add it (and give credit of course!)

1.       Go for a walk

2.       Blow bubbles

3.       Run through the sprinkler

4.       Grow a garden

5.       Swing

6.       Ride bikes

7.       Outline your family in sidewalk chalk

8.       Finger paint

9.       Make homemade fruitsicles

10.   Go on a picnic

11.   Play in the water (ocean, lake, river)

12.   Go fishing

13.   Go canoeing

14.   Make bread

15.   Go on a photo tour of your hometown

16.   Have a water balloon fight

17.   Visit your library and read a book

18.   Go to a local farmer’s market

19.   Make a homemade slip ‘n slide

20.   Make s’mores

21.   Collect Seashells at the beach

22.   Build a sandcastle

23.   Watch the sunset

24.   Watch the sunrise

25.   Take flowers to a shut-in

26.   Call Grandma

27.   Write a letter to an old friend

28.   Having a watermelon seed spitting contest

29.   Find the constellations in the summer sky

30.   Go grass sledding down a big hill

31.   Play flash light tag

32.   Make Sun tea

33.   Sleep in a tent in your yard

34.   Eat breakfast outside

35.   Float down a lazy river

36.   Climb a tree

37.   Make a daisy chain

38.   Grow a sunflower house

39.   Walk a dog at your local animal shelter

40.   Skip rocks

41.   Play hopscotch

42.   Dance in a summer rain puddle

43.   Find cloud shapes in the sky

44.   Go berry picking

45.   Fly a Kite

46.   Take a nap in a hammock

47.   Play Frisbee

48.   Make Pizza on the BBQ

49.   Make homemade ice cream

50.   Blog about it all!

So what Simple Summer Things can you add to the list?

Here are some more...keep 'em coming!

  

Go to the zoo

Play in the Rain

Visit a Farm

Go for a Hike

Set up a Lemonade Stand

Host a Tea Party Outdoors

Make a Weather Calendar

Learn to Knit or Crochet (or teach someone)

Hang out under a big old Shade Tree

Stay up late around a campfire (sing a song or two!)

Go pick Wild Berries

    thanks Enya, Alayne and Amanda!

Press some flowers

Make a seed picture

Wash a favorite stuffed animal outside

Thanks Sara...

How to make Homemade Popsicles your Kids will LOVE!

Welcome to our little Tuesday get together here at the farm.

Its called Summer's Simple Things.

This is the day we share the simple things we have been doing for fun this summer.  Those things that require no batteries, remote controls, or electrical outlets. 

Just good old fashioned summer fun!

Today is one of my kids' favorite simple things of summer...

Yummy homemade popsicles...or fruit pops as we call them.  I made 40 of them at a time for the breast cancer fundraiser last week.  As the weather turned a little chilly not many were eaten.  The brownies and peanut butter cookies on the other hand were devoured!

That means my kids have had the difficult task of eating them for me....ahhh poor babies!

I need the freezer room for freezer jam so I have been pushing fruitpops for breakfast lunch and dinner...yep that's the kind of mom I am.

Now you can either make these in plastic popsicle forms or as I did in paper cups.  Even I don't have 40 forms on hand!

My first flavor (and my favorite) is Orange Mango Strawberry Banana.  Start with a small bottle of organic orange mango juice.  Put it in the blender with a peeled, cored mango.

Add strawberries...

And finally a banana.

Whir it up.  You can leave little chunks or make it perfectly smooth...which is what I did.

Pour it into little paper cups. Since I made these for a grownup party I used 5oz cups.  For kids you might want to go with a smaller cup.

Put them on a cookie sheet.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Insert a craft/popsicle stick into the mixture. (if you have really tough plastic you will have to make a tiny slit first to start it, trust me this helps tremendously!)

Pop them in the freezer till solid. (ok, little disclaimer here...I realize that technically this requires an electric cord but at least we don't sit on our butts and watch the freezer)

Peel off the cup to eat.  If it is hard to peel let it sit for a few minutes to soften or if you are in a really big hurry run it under warm water.

Sweet Girl and I liked the Mangosicles!

Baby Boy preferred the Blueberry Pops.

Apple juice, blueberries, banana, and a touch of vanilla

Ya, its a tough job but somebody's got to eat all those leftover frozen treats!

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Mama's Hiding, A Simple Summer Pleasure

This is a little tale about a mama who really, really loves her kids.

She also really, really loves her husband.

She loves her house, her garden, and even all the pesky critters that inhabit her farm.

But sometimes...

Just sometimes...

She needs a little alone time.

A little peace without constant chatter.

A little bit of land that is not screaming to be weeded or watered or harvested.

A place where there are not animals to be fed or tended.

She actually needs to run away and hide... for just a little bit.

So down into the lower pasture...

Hiding in the daisies she goes.

And just between the curvy and straight paths on the way to Grandma's hides she!

Nothing but blue sky, summer breezes and the buzzing of tiny bees surrounded her.

Her silent shadow her only companion...well, that and her camera, which seems to her more like an extension of herself.

The daisies are bobbing their lovely heads in the warm breezes...

Softly dancing a summertime ballet with the grasses...

She can see her house...but those at home cannot see her.  She is close enough if needed but far enough to find just a little solitude.

Until...

The sound of a familiar little girl voice,

 

Mama, mama...where are you?  I'm hungry...can I have ice cream?  My brother wet his pants.  Why are you out here?  Does daddy know where you are?  Will all these bees sting me?  When are you coming in?  Can I sit with you?

And so she sits...

We visit until she convinces me that very important things...pressing mama things...need me back home.

So I follow my sweet daughter back up the hill.

Back to my family, back to the laundry and the dishes. Back to the wet underwear...

Hello dear family...how can I serve you?

*****

But don't worry about me. I will not forget my hiding place, or my few moments of stolen solitude. 

But next time I'm going to hide in with the camel...

Pretty sure they won't think to look there!

*****

So I've shared my simple (and secret) summer pleasure...not its your turn!

Summer's Sweet Treat Ice Cream!

I cannot imagine a summer without ice cream!  A cold, creamy, sweet, sticky treat enjoyed in the summer sun...perfection!

Does that mean all that healthy vitamin D you are getting from the sun offsets the fat and sugar and indeed makes it a healthy treat?  Just wondering....

(If anyone is interested in the origins of ice cream here is a great link.)

Today it was Blackberry for the little one and Vanilla for the Big one! 

When we don't make our own we purchase Alden's organic ice cream at our local market.

So before we go on...

Does anyone make their own cones?  Is it hard?  Does it require special equipment?  Can they be made organically?

Going on...

Blackberry is yummy...

Blackberry rolled in mini chocolate chips is...

Well divine!

Why do they never look at me with such rapt attention?

Or smile so sweetly when asked to fold the laundry?

Joy is at hand!

So is the mess...

 

The little one made a BIG mess...

The big one only made a little mess!

Sweet Girl knew exactly what to do.

Baby Boy looked at his suspiciously!  Soon he decided that in spite of the coldness it was pretty darn good...

One of summer's simple things!

And one of her messier things!

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Just a short not to thank all of you for joining me in this little series.  I have had more fun than I could have imagined not only documenting our own simple summer but have thoroughly enjoyed your's too...thanks!

*****

Sidewalk Chalk a Simple Thing of Summer

Happy Tuesday all!

We're here today with another installment of 'Summer's Simple Things'!

(to find out what the series is about and how you can join go here)

We are going no farther than the front driveway with nothing more than a few sticks of chalk...

Insert kid...

Hey mama...that me!  Me BIG!

Yes Baby and you are allowed to get no bigger.

Mama!

I'm serious...

Insert next kid...

Wook mama...its my sister.  She BIG too!

Yep...and she's not allowed to get any bigger either!

Mama!

I'm serious.

Here is my quandry...

Edit out the old car with the wheels off in the background so you all don't think we're hicks.

Or leave the car in and prove to be true what you probably guessed already...

So in the spirit of keeping it real...

The car remains...hicksville here we come!

Anyone looking for an old car for parts?

But you can't have my old truck...I love that truck.

Hey Baby...what is that long thing coming out of your head?

It Psghetti mama!

That's a lot of spaghetti!

Me really, really hungry...

Oh, I see.

Kids + Chalk + Driveway/sidewalk =

One of Summer's Simple Things!

So do you have any simple thing to share? 

And don't forget to visit over at MommyTopics to join in her fun 'Summer Family Fun Blog Hop' (or click on the button in my sidebar)

Summer's Simple Things we Share!

In honor of summer.

In honor of my pledge to slow down.

In honor of my promise to enjoy the very simplest things of summer in their purest forms.

I honor of that all that is good in summertime I am sharing this with you...

What says 'summertime fun' more than a pair of little kid feet covered with newly cut grass?

You know those feet have been running and jumping and wiggling in the grass!

Hubby had just mowed the grass and the kids had discovered it in the wheelbarrow. 

What fun...what a laundry nightmare!

 

The only thing more fun than a pair of child's feet covered with grass would be two!

Two very dirty...

very grassy...

very happy...

pairs of summertime feet!

Pretty sure I won't be getting the bathtub ring off till next winter!

*****

Oh and yes...the big guy LOVES freshly cut grass too! 

In case you were wondering.

 

So here is where you get to share.

What are some simple, fun, summertime things you have been up to?

Do tell...

Summer's Simple Things a new series

As my quest this summer is to simplify my life I have decided to start a weekly series.  Every Tuesday I'll be sharing one simple things of summer.

Last week it was this...

Swinging...you pretty much can't get more simple than that.

Well except for this!

 

When I was a kid I lived on a street, a typical street with houses down each side.

But I was lucky that the lots directly across the street from us had a small creek that ran through them so no one was allowed to build there.  So every summer these extra deep lots would grow up into a bit grassy field.  And every summer the neighborhood kids would run and play games in the tall grass.

I spent hours in that grass looking up at the sky, playing hide and seek, and sharing secrets with my friends.

A well manicured lawn could never, ever, be that much fun!

My kids are lucky...their house is surrounded on all sides by grassy fields!

Our lake cabin has a field they can play in at 'A Summer Place Farm' next door!

And the only thing better than playing in a field at home is playing in the tall grass along a lovely lake!

If you would like to join my on Tuesdays I would love to have you!  This is a simple series...no giveaways, no prizes.  The activities require no batteries, no USB cables, no fancy props.  Just the simple things that summer has to offer!

Think popcicles dripping down your chin, bike rides at sunset, playing catch, going fishing...you know simple old-fashioned fun!

 

Wait a minute...

Sudden change of rules.

You will be allowed batteries for one thing...but only that one thing.

Yep I almost forgot our cameras take batteries.

So please take your camera along...

With batteries would be nice.

*****

I also wanted to let you all know that

Jacqueline...of Zippy Zippy

has won the copy of

Who Grew My Garden!

email me a

[email protected]

Congrats!